


Your Crutch

by DarkPirateLightSwan



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:21:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27692033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkPirateLightSwan/pseuds/DarkPirateLightSwan
Summary: Emma Swan doesn't need any help. Except for the fact that she broke her ankle chasing a skip and lives alone in a three-floor walk up.  Oh and that guy she had been seeing that should be here to help? Turns out he had been cheating on her with her roommate.  Maybe, just maybe, her ex- roommate's ex-boyfriend, is the only one who truly cares. And maybe in more ways than Emma thinks.
Relationships: Captain Hook | Killian Jones & Emma Swan, Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Emma Swan
Comments: 6
Kudos: 56





	1. Your injury

Emma Swan was used to being on her own, and often wouldn’t admit, even to herself, that she wished she had parents, family, friends or really anyone to lean on. Except for right now. Right now she was sitting on the cold sidewalk, breathing deeply (in through her nose and out through her mouth) and holding her rapidly swelling ankle. Right now, she wished she had someone she could call. 

She cursed her skip, the guy whom didn’t have any issue shoving a woman, even if she was a woman who put cuffs on him, before running. She cursed the 4 inch heels that she wore for her honey trap (why couldn’t guys be more attracted to running shoes?). She cursed the ice that had formed on the sidewalk while she had been in the restaurant, the snow had started to melt during the day, but the quick drop in temperature as night fell turned everything into a skating rink. But cursing didn’t stop the swelling in her ankle or the pain that was shooting up her leg.

Six hours later, after taking an Uber to the ER (waiting, x-rays, waiting some more, being fitted with a temporary cast etc), Emma spent another 30 minutes for her to get herself up her three story walk up to stumbling into her apartment on crutches. She tried not to cry. Her ankle was broken and she was set for surgery at the end of the week to get a metal plate over the break to help it heal in place. She’d be off her feet for 6-8 weeks. Six- eight weeks that she would somehow have to fend for herself. That was 6-8 weeks with no hope for income. 

Fuck. 

\- - -

One month earlier...

If she had to admit it, Emma Swan was quite proud of herself. An orphan, raised in the system (and for periods of time even homeless on the street), she had beaten the odds. She didn’t fall into the world of drugs like some of the kids she knew. She never had to sell herself. Yes, she had gone to jail for eleven months when she was 17, but it was for a crime she did not commit…. Well, we’re just not going to get into that. 

In her book, she had done quite well for herself. She owns her own condo in the city. She has a job she’s good at and was no longer scraping together money for basic essentials. Ok, she still had a roommate to help cover her mortgage, but Tink was nice enough and they got along fine. Oh, and she had a boyfriend who she… well she didn’t dislike spending time with him. 

Her life was good. Not great. But good. She was satisfied enough. So, she was completely blindsided when she walked into her condo after an all-night stake out (that ended up in a long morning of paper work at the precinct once she caught the guy) to find her boyfriend, August, balls deep in her roommate who was bent over the coffee table. 

“Oh, you have got to be fucking kidding me?” She yelled, dropping her bag to the floor startling the two lovers who had not even heard her come in. Immediately, they jumped apart, both grabbing for things to cover themselves. 

“E-Ems! You’re home!” August stutter as he held a throw pillow to cover himself. 

“Yeah, I am.” She said calmly, sweeping her arm toward the door that she left ajar. “Now get the fuck out.” 

“Uh, I’m sorry.. I just…we…It’s not what it…” He stammered on. Emma held up a hand to stop him.

“I swear to God, if you say ‘its not what it looks like’….”

“No, it’s just….

“You know, for a writer you aren’t very articulate. At least Tink has the decency to not meet my eye.” She sarcastically waved at her roommate who was sitting on the floor now, a throw blanket wrapped around her. “Hi Tink, I’m going to need you to move out by Thursday.” 

In the middle of all this, there was a knock on the door. 

“Ahoy! Tink, you home?” 

“Shit! Killian! Shit!” Tink panic whispered half to herself. “Killian, uh stay…stay there! I’ll be right there!” She yelled out as she scrambled to get up.

“Are you for fucking real?” Emma asked in disbelief that Tink was going to try to hid this from Killian. “Killian, come on in! It’s a motherfucking party in here!” Emma called out to him. A moment later he appeared next to her, taking in the scene before him and putting two and two together quickly.

“What the bloody hell is going on here? Tink?” To her credit, Tink was red head to toe in embarrassment and, probably, shame. Eager not to have this fight naked in the living room, she rushed to him, grabbing his arm and dragged him into her room as he shouted curses at her and August before she slammed the door behind them. 

Emma turned to August, giving him a look that clearly said ‘what the fuck are you still doing here?’

“Ems, can we talk? Please? I’m sorry.” August started toward her. 

“You have exactly two minutes to get dressed and get out before I consider this a trespassing situation and I can legally use my firearm to protect myself and my property.” She said impassively before turning down the hall and to her room. 

For the next two hours, Emma tried to sleep but the sounds of Killian and Tink arguing and yelling kept her from even dozing off. Should she be crying? She was angry yes, but after a little reflection, she realized she wasn’t sad. August was a prick for cheating, but she wasn’t heart-broken that it was over. She like the guy, but it wasn’t love. What was wrong with her? Was she incapable of love? 

After a while she gave up and went to the kitchen to pour herself a drink figuring she at least deserved it after a day like today. 

Emma was halfway through her second whiskey before Killian threw open Tink’s door and stormed out. Emma smirked when she could hear the distinct sounds of her roommate (ex-roommate, soon enough) crying. 

Killian stomped down the hallway and past the kitchen where Emma was sitting on the counter, whiskey glass in hand, before stopping and coming back to the kitchen doorway.

“Did you know?” He accused. Emma scowled.

“I was being cheated on too here.” She snapped back before taking a long drink. “I knew about 30 seconds before you did.” She mumbled into her glass. 

Killian sighed, and then hesitated to turn back around and continue to leave. Without moving from her perch on the counter, she grabbed a glass from the drying rack by the sink, poured another whiskey and held it out wordlessly to him.

“A little early to be drinking, don’t you think?”

“Seriously?”

Killian frowned and took the glass from her.

“If it makes you feel any better, this is my third.” She said before finishing off her glass.

“Well then,” He took the bottle and poured himself a double. “Cheers,” He said before tipping his head back and finished the whole thing in one gulp. Emma watched him as he swallowed, grimacing slightly. 

“I’ll see you around, Swan.” And with that, he was gone.


	2. Your alone

The day before the surgery, Emma decided to do a few things to set herself up since she would be recovering for the foreseeable future. First things first, she ordered some groceries to be delivered and only winced a little bit when typing in her credit card number, not wanting to think about the fact that her bills would be piling up and her income would not non-existent. Yeah, she had one or two checks that still needed to come in from skips she caught last month but her mortgage, utility bills, credit card aren’t going to hit the pause button. 

Figuring she wouldn’t be too hungry in the next few days after the surgery and then would mostly be eating takeout for a while, she tried to keep her order tame by just buying things to stock her pantry like soup, crackers, pop-tarts etc. Next was attempting to get the spare comforter she kept in the hall closet onto the couch to make herself a makeshift recovery nest in the living room (aka the only room with a TV and easier access to the kitchen), but that was abandoned when several other items fell from the shelves including a box that grazed her ankle in just the right place to make her vision go black for a few seconds. Leaving the mess in the hall, Emma stumbled her way to the couch trying her hardest not to just scream in pain and frustration. She sat for a few minutes, her ankle throbbing as she propped it on a pillow on the cushions before a firm knock on the door jarred her out of her self-pity.

Thinking it was her grocery delivery (she had unlocked the door on her way back from the bathroom earlier) she yelled “Come in!” and heard the door open.

“Swan?”

“You can just put them in the kitchen…” she began before recognizing the voice coming from her door, “Killian?”

Sure enough, Killian Jones appeared at the end of the couch, his face a mask of confusion and something else… concern?

“Swan, what the hell happened? I’ve been calling you for days, your phone’s been going straight to voicemail. What the bloody hell happened to you?” He dropped down next to the side of the couch.

“I broke my ankle.”

“I can see that love. Why didn’t you call me?” She furrowed her brow and looked at him. 

“Why would I call you?” the question was innocent enough, they weren’t friends. They were more than acquaintances though, if she had to guess how to categorize them. What do you call someone who use to date your ex roommate and would be over all the time but then you and he found your own partners sleeping together? Oh, also mix in the fact that you might be just slightly attracted to him, but again he use to fuck your ex-roommate. Sure, they had eaten a few meals together, would sometimes watch TV together and talk a bit if August wasn’t around and Tink was still getting ready. She knew the basics about him, his first and last name, what he did for a living, things like that. They had texted once or twice to confirm ‘yes that was the quote from Step Brothers’ or ‘I just saw that billboard; you’re right it is super inappropriate.” And maybe she had seen him once completely naked except for a towel wrapped low on his hips as he exited the bathroom. But that didn’t make him a person in her life that she would call after getting injured. And yet she didn’t miss the slight wince at her words.

“You know, love, sometimes its ok to admit you need help.”

“I don’t need help.” She snapped back, swinging her legs down off the couch and attempting to get up, before crying out in pain and falling back to the couch as the blood rushed to her hurt ankle. Killian sprang forward as she did this to help guide her back down into a reclined position. 

“Swan, please. You’re obviously in a lot of pain. What do you need? I can get it for you.”

Emma eyed him, but in the end the pain in her ankle won and she gave up.

“A glass of water and some Ibuprofen.” Immediately, Killian sprang up to retrieve what she asked for. 

“What happened in the hall?” He asked when he returned half a minute later, his eyebrow raised as he handed her some pills and a glass. 

“I was trying to get a comforter…” She began before he turned and disappeared down the hall again. She sighed as she could hear him cleaning up the mess. He was always so tidy, really the best thing you can ask for in a roommate’s boyfriend (ex-roommate’s ex-boyfriend?). A minute later he returned with the comforter and extra pillows. She didn’t miss the fact that they had brand new pillow cases on them. 

“Can you scoot up for a second, Swan?” 

“You really don’t have to...”

“Nonsense, here.” He helped her up slowly, before quickly spreading the comforter down on the couch like a sleeping bag and placing pillows on both sides, for her head and for her ankle. He was nervously hovering his hands around her as she settled back down, unsure how to help as the doorbell rang. 

“I ordered groceries.” She explained. 

“Ah, allow me.” And with that he went to answer the door.

“Killian, just leave them in the kitchen, I’ll put them away.” She yelled in the direction of the door. But could distinctly hear him opening and closing cabinets and the fridge. A few minutes later, he returned with a plate of pop-tarts and a mug of coffee.

“You know me so well.” She smiled as he handed her the plate. 

“Yes, well you are a creature of terrible habits.” He laughed. “Where is the coffee table?” He looked confused at the empty space in front of the couch.

“Got rid of it. It was collateral damage in the great fuck-fest on 2018.” 

She almost spit her coffee out at the way Killian screwed his face up in realization.

“Grand. Well, I stopped by to grab that box that Tink left.” Emma gestured to the hall where her and her spare room (Tink’s former room) were at the end of. Tink had moved out 2 very uncomfortable days after Emma had walked in on her and August. Leaving behind a very small box of Killian’s things (phone charger, t-shirt, a travel coffee mug, etc) for Killian to pick up. 

“Right,” He said glancing over his shoulder toward the bedrooms and running his good hand over his prosthetic. “Well, I’ll grab that and be on my way. Do you need anything else?” 

She shook her head. “Please, Emma let me know if you need anything at all.”

“Thanks for the offer, Killian. But really. I am fine.”

\---

Emma was not fine. She was scared and in pain and on the day of her surgery when the nurse was checking her in, she asked who was going to be helping Emma home after her same-day surgery, Emma answered: a cab. And when the nurse eyed her and said “Some one should really be helping you out for the next few weeks.” Emma had no choice but to lie: “Oh my neighbor will be helping me, she just cant pick me up cause of work, it’ll be fine.” The lie came easy, far too easy. But Emma didn’t like feeling bad because she was alone… no, not alone- independent. 

Alone made it seem sad. 

But if she was truly honest with herself, she never felt more alone then she did now. She was about to go into her first surgery ever and she didn’t have a soul in the world who cared, and she tried as hard as she could to push down those thoughts as the nurse lead her to a curtained off bed to get undressed and prepped for surgery. She had thought briefly of calling Killian, he had offered to help her, but she didn’t want to impose. He was just being nice, he didn’t want to take a whole day to wait around for some woman he kinda knows. This was a boyfriend’s job, not a… whatever Killian and Emma were. Friends? Acquaintances? Allies? 

And these were the thoughts she was having as she counted down from 10 in the surgery room, oxygen mask on her face and a warm tingle coming up her arm as they injected the anesthetic. She didn’t make it past the number 9.

Waking up from surgery was an odd feeling. Emma regained consciousness gradually and all at once. It was somewhat confusing, although she knew exactly what was going on the moment she realized the pain she was in.

“You’re awake,” An older nurse smiled at her over a clipboard and standing a few feet away from her bed. “I’ll go get your boyfriend.”

If Emma wasn’t so groggy or if the nurse hadn’t hurried away so quickly, maybe she would have thought to correct her, but her drugged up brain couldn’t comprehend quickly enough to come up with the words. A moment later a familiar dark haired head popped around the corner.

“Decent, Swan?” He grinned at her, his eyebrows wagging. Emma attempted her best scowl, but could tell it came off more of a tired squint. Killian Jones made his way over to sit in the chair next to the gurney Emma was still laying on. “How are we feeling, eh?” He asked more seriously, bring his hand up as if he wanted to brush her hair off her face but thought better of it and awkwardly made to fix her pillow instead.

“Thirsty.” She managed to croak. Killian blinked at her, not expecting that answer apparently, but got up and disappeared past the curtain, returning quickly with a mini can of Ginger Ale with a straw sticking out of it.

“Here we go.” He held it up for her, letting her drink almost all of it before setting it on the table next to the bag containing her clothes and personal affects. 

“What are you doing here, Killian?” She asked more awake now and moving to sit up a bit. Killian ducked his head and scratched behind his ear.

“I saw your surgery reminded on the fridge the other day when I stopped by to get my stuff. And this morning I saw you get in an Uber with your crutches and put two and two together. Figured you might need a ride home.”

“So you followed me to the hospital and just, what? Waited around till the surgery was over and then lied to the nurse saying you were my boyfriend? You thought I was just some helpless girl…” 

“Well, no I just..”

“What? You just what?”

“I didn’t want you to be alone!” He hissed, momentarily losing his cool, which seemed to shock both of them before Emma snapped back.

“I’m perfectly fine on my own, Jones. I don’t need your pity…”

“I know what its like.” He cut her off, looking down at his hands. More specifically, his prosthetic hand. Emma blinked at him. She would often forget that Killian was missing his left hand, his prosthetic was so real looking and could even move and grasp things that she didn’t often stop to think about the fact that he only had one hand. She knew he had lost it in an accident during his time in the Navy, and that he had been without it for many years. 

Killian sighed before continuing. “Emma, I know what it’s like to be alone. And I know what it’s like to be alone with an injury.” Emma gulped looking down at his prostatic hand. “I wanted to help you. It’s not pity and I know you can do it on your own, but I want to help anyway.” He finished, looking up at her. 

Emma and Killian stared at each other for a few moments. 

“Ok,” she simply said, dropping her gaze again and fixing her blanket, before looking at him shyly out of the corner of her eye only to catch his lips tick up in a small smile.

And that was that, no more arguments. An hour later Emma was discharged with instructions to stay off her leg, keep her cast dry and to take her pain meds and antibiotics. Killian drove them to her place, helped her up the stairs to condo, and onto her couch.

“Alright, Swan. Need anything at all?” She shook her head, her eyelids already dropping down as she fought the overwhelming exhaustion. “Aye, then I’ll be off. I’ll swing by in the morning to check on you.”

But Emma didn’t even hear the last part as she was already fast asleep.


	3. Your recovery

Emma wasn’t prepared for was the sheer amount of pain she would be in from a 20-minute surgery and two inch incision. When she woke up the day after her surgery it took her almost an hour just to get up, pee, and collapse back on the couch. Killian had obviously been there earlier in the day. He left a note with a travel mug of coffee and a bagel next to the couch along with her meds. 

She turned on Netflix and cried until her pain medication kicked in and she passed out again. For three days, this was her routine. She would wake up sometime in the late morning, drag herself to the bathroom and then to the couch where a little while later she would fall asleep on and off until the evening when she would slowly drag herself to her bedroom. 

On day three of this routine is when the antibiotics started to turn her stomach, making her feel the sickest she has ever felt on top of the sheer pain in her ankle. By the fourth morning, she gave up on the antibiotics figuring she’d risk infection at this point as long as she didn’t feel this completely awful and surrender herself to her bed until she could go vertical without crying out in pain as the blood rushed to her foot. On the fifth day after her surgery was when Killian Jones, for the first time ever, entered her bedroom. 

Emma Swan had had a few fantasies about Killian in her bedroom. However, she would rather break both of her ankles before ever admit that fact out loud. Killian was a flirt, a bit of a know it all, and kind of always around when he was dating Tink. Oh, and he HAD DATED TINK, her former roommate ( and woman who fucked her boyfriend on the coffee table). She had heard Tink and him having sex on numerous occasions and she had desperately tried to get that image out of her head. So no, Emma would never admit that a little piece of her had been jealous when Tink was all over him that first night he had come over to get a key for his apartment from August. Emma had been dating August, and even though it wasn’t love and they had only just recently started dating a month prior, she was not a cheater. 

Needless to say she did not picture that the first time Killian was in her bedroom to be this moment.

\- --  
It was obvious to Killian that Emma had not been out of bed for a day or two. The snacks and coffee he had been leaving her by the couch were still there in the evening when he stopped by again, so the next morning when her door stood shut yet again, he began to worry.

Killian Jones had fantasized about being in Emma’s bedroom. Only there were far less clothes, and Emma’s legs were wrapped around his waist, not currently propped up on pillows, her right one in a cast. But Killian pushed those thoughts out of his head as he pushed her door open and approached her bed. 

Emma looked like hell. Pale white, her hair knotted and a bit greasy, falling out of the bun she had it in on top of her head, not brushed or washed in almost a week. She had on an old baggy T-shirt that hung off her shoulder and sweat pants. She looked like she had lost a little weight, her eyes had dark circles under them. Her room was a little messy, some clothes and other items just tossed onto her floor and dresser. There were several half full glasses of water on her nightstand. 

“Swan?” He whispered as he approached her bed. She was laying on her back on the right side of her king sized bed, her head titled to the side, legs propped on a pillow, one arm across her stomach where her baggy t-shirt rode up slightly and he sweatpants hanging low, showing a strip of skin that Killian was trying very hard to avert his eyes from. 

He didn’t want to wake her up, he really didn’t, but he knew she hadn’t eaten anything of actual sustenance in days and he had come over to cook breakfast. Pancakes, bacon, coffee, fruit, and muffins. Everything Emma loved and while it wasn’t the healthiest of breakfasts at least he knew she’d eat it all. 

“Love, wake up.” He called out softly again, not to startle her. She began to stir, stretching a little before opening her eyes. She looked over at him briefly before closing them again and making to shift over on her side, but ended up yelping and falling back onto her back when her leg shifted off the pillow.

“Emma, love. Here. Take your pain medication.” He offered her a pill and a glass of water, waiting patiently as she shifted up onto her pillows to sit up more. She took the pill, swallowing down half the water and set the glass with the 4 others on her nightstand. 

“I see you’ve got a collection going on.” He smirked at her as she tried to smooth down her hair. 

“What are you doing here, Killian?” She asked,, her voice a but raspy from sleep and under-use.

“I had some time before work and I wanted breakfast.” He said, bending down and picking up a tray filled with food. “Thought you might like some too.” He set the tray over her lap and watched as her eyes widened seeing all her favorite breakfast foods.

“You didn’t have to do this Killian, I could have had cereal.”

“Nonsense. You need a proper meal.”

“I…” Emma paused, swallowing a bit before looking up with him and giving him a small smile. “Thank you.”

“It was nothing, Swan.” They ate in silence a bit, Emma trying everything on her plate (Killian secretly happy that she ate just about all the fruit but suspected it was more because the pain medication made her a bit queasy and that was the easiest and lightest thing on her stomach). Once she was done, Killian gather up her tray, along with the rogue water glasses on her nightstand.

“Another season of The Office, love?” He chuckled as he turned to leave her room. 

“Um, actually I think I’m going to take a bath first,” She said, a bit embarrassed and once again trying to fix her hair a bit. 

“Alright, well I’ll leave you too it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one was a little short! More to come tomorrow!


	4. Your mistake

I did not think this through, Emma chided herself as she sat in her bathtub, her injured leg hanging over the side so it wouldn’t get wet. Truth be told, she really needed a bath. There was only so much a quick washcloth cleanse could do and she had been embarrassed for Killian to see her at her absolute worse; un-showered or groomed in almost a week. Plus, she was feeling a little better and had enough energy to actually move around a bit. So with some effort, Emma had hobbled her way into the bathroom, got herself undress, and slid into the bathtub making sure her leg was hanging out the side to keep her cast dry and let the tub fill with warm water and bubbles. Yes, she had to use a large, plastic cup to keep filling and pouring over herself in order to wash and rinse herself, but she was still able to wash her hair, shave her (one and a half) legs, and wash herself. But after the tub had drained and she had given herself a final rinse by filling her plastic cup with the tap and pouring it over herself, all her energy was zapped, it was all she could do to reach outside the shower curtain to grab her towels. She wrap her hair in one and dry parts of her body with the other, but when she attempted to get up, she realized her dilemma. She had no energy and no leverage to get herself out of the tub. Even with sticking her other leg out of the tub and trying to push herself up, she didn’t have the energy to push herself up and get herself balanced on her one leg. Essentially she was stuck in her own tub. 

“Killian?” She called to the closed door. He had said he needed to check in at the bar he tended in his off season. Killian’s main job was using his boat (she’s a ship, Swan) to host parties and educational camps, but in the colder months when people were not at all interested in being outside and on the water in below freezing temperature, he would bartend at a pub down the street. He had said if it wasn’t too busy and they didn’t need him for the lunch rush, he was going to pick up some food and swing back to check on her. 

Idly, Emma wondered how long she had been in the bath. It had taken time to get undressed and to wash, and she had spent extra time just soaking in the warm water. 

After what felt like forever, she could hear someone enter her apartment. 

“Hello?” she called out. “Killian?” She could hear the person’s footstep outside the door and a soft knock.

“Aye, it’s me. Just got the food, I’ll leave it in the kitchen…”

“Wait! I’m stuck.”

Pause.

“You’re stuck?” She could hear the bewilderment in his voice.

“I can’t stand up out of the tub with one leg.”

Another pause.

“W-What do you need from me?”

“I need you to help me get out of this tub!” She was getting frustrated now. What was his problem?

“Alright, are you decent? Can I come in?”

Oh, right. I’m naked, she thought to herself. Quickly, she wrapped her towel around her body as best she could and then called out “Yup, you’re fine to come in.”

Slowly the door opened and Killian entered, his gaze up to the ceiling and his ears a bit red. It would have been adorable if Emma hadn’t been sitting in an empty tub for God knows how long, unable just stand up. 

“Just give me your hand.” She said reaching up. He held out his arms and she grasp both his hands with her and together pulled her up easily. Unfortunately, the towel she had around her body was not as securely fastened as she had thought and as she stood the towel dropped from around her body. 

“Oh shit,” She yelled trying desperately to grab the towel as it slid down, but was too late as it fell to in a heap back into the tub. Quickly, she tried to cover herself up with her hands, but Killian was already shoving a new towel in her direction, his head turned toward the door so he misjudged their distance and accidently grazed the back of his hand along her breast. Emma grabbed the towel and wrapped it around her, holding onto the tuck this time, before looking at Killian. His head was still turned away from her but his neck and ears were bright red with embarrassment. After handing off the new towel, he made to leave the bathroom.

“Killian, wait!” Emma stopped him. “I still need to get out of the tub.”

Killian turned to look at her finally. Emma was standing in the tub still, but her injured leg prevented her from stepping over the side.

“Uh, right. I’ll just… um.” He stammered before he just quickly picked her up, one arm under her thighs, one at her back and placed her on the mat outside the bathtub. Then, when she was stable on her left leg, left the bathroom without another word. 

Emma had to chuckle at this. The whole situation was ridiculous. Deciding she’d give him a little time to get over it, Emma brushed her hair out, moisturized her entire body and face, and brushed her teeth. Once she was dressed in a tank top and yoga pants (the right leg rolled up over her cast), she made her way out to the living room to join Killian for lunch. 

It took Killian until the next day to make eye contact with her again.


	5. Your help

Killian Jones hoped he wasn’t about to get murdered. He was 38, had just spent the last 20 years serving in the Royal Navy and was looking for a fresh start in life. And yes, maybe he was nursing a broken heart as well. He and Milah had broken up ages ago, but the wound that the relationship had left was a big one. She had been married. With a kid. She had lied for a year to him about this only to leave him when her husband had come into some money and she decided to “focus on her marriage.” So when he decided to retire at his 20 year service mark, he thought he’d take the only thing left to him by his maternal grandfather, his ship, and move to the States. 

After a few days of living on his ship, which wasn’t the worst thing in the world but he’d prefer accommodations with shower, he was able to find a listing for an apartment in his price range that was also close to the docks. The landlord was a kind, older man who didn’t live in the city anymore but had told Killian on the phone that his son helps him out with fixing things and paperwork and such. After some texting back and forth, the son told him he had a tight schedule and asked if Killian could pick up the key from his apartment. 

It was easy enough to find the address, the apartment was only a little ways down from the docks and close to his own soon-to-be apartment. It seemed like a nicer building, not high end but not rubbish. Middle of the road, and possibly condominiums instead of apartments. From the outside, each residence had a small balcony and the lobby was clean, if not a bit dated. After getting buzzed in at the lobby, he made his way up the three story walk up and to the apartment number he was given. He could hear some music from inside as he knocked. A few seconds later, the door swung open to reveal the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life. Long blonde hair and green eyes left him speechless for a moment as she raised an eyebrow in question. 

“Ugh, I’m looking for August?” He managed to get out after forcing his brain to reconnect. “Do I have the wrong apartment…” Or please let this be his sister.

“Oh, hey man!” A guy appeared behind the goddess standing at the door and Killian’s heart sank to see this guy’s (August he assumed) hands landed at her hips, pulling her a few inches back (Killian also didn’t miss the fact that it made her behind connect with his groin in a possessive way). “You’re here for the key? I’ve got some papers my dad needs you to sign too…” August trailed off disappearing into the apartment.

Killian hesitated at the door as the blonde woman scowled after her boyfriend before offer him a slight smile.

“Hey, I’m Emma.” She sticking out her hand. 

“Killian. Killian Jones.” He replied. As he shook her hand, he could swear he felt a little jolt. His eyes connected with her and by the fleeting expression that crossed her face, maybe just maybe, she had felt it too. 

“Uh… um, August can be kind of a little flaky.” She whispered. “Come on in and I’ll grab you a beer while he figures out your paper work.” She pointed him toward the living room where August was rummaging through his bag. “My roommate, Tink is in there too. Go ahead and make yourself comfortable.”

\---

Killian wasn’t sure if Emma knew he had a key to her apartment. Tink had locked herself out of the apartment so many times in the first few months of them dating that she ended up leaving a spare key at his place. He had meant to drop it with her when he picked up his box last week, but once he had seen her hurt he decided to hold onto it just in case she needed him. Plus, a small piece of him wanted to hold onto another excuse to see her.

I’m just being a good friend and helping her out, he argued with himself. 

Don’t kid yourself, you wanker. You’re desperate because you’re in love with her, his inner voice argued back at him. 

He had been living on his ship again for the last week. August had found some loophole in his lease agreement and had kicked him out of this apartment, just to be (and what Killian could only assume) a dick. After all, Killian had done nothing to August.

It didn’t matter now. He hadn’t really liked that apartment anyhow; the kitchen was too small and the heat hadn’t worked properly. Besides, he was glad to not pay rent to August anymore and to cut that whole drama out of his life. 

It did, however, leave him houseless. The Jolly Roger was not a long-term solution. Part of his docking agreement meant not living aboard the ship. So he was keeping a low profile there, but that meant not running the generator at night, which meant being extremely cold. 

Tonight was the worst of it. The temperature dropped to the single digits (Fahrenheit if he was going to be an American, might as well adopt their customs), and thermals plus a mountain of blankets and heated water bottles were not cutting it.

He glanced at his phone, 11:23pm. There was no way Emma was awake right now. She was still taking her pain medication and it made her pass out hard, but he sent a text anyway. After 7 full minutes, no reply. 

Killian debated with himself. It was wrong to go over to her place unannounced. 

But he had been doing it the last week and a half to bring over food and help her out. 

But it was during the day, and she knew he was going to be in an out helping her, they had agreed about it.

But she wouldn’t want him to freeze to death.

A particularly strong gust of wind hit the side of his ship just then, seeping through the old windows of his cabin and chilling him straight to the bone. There was no more debating. He would just go over, sleep on the couch and explain himself in the morning. They were friends after all. Friends don’t let friends freeze to death. Pushing back all the guilt, Killian threw a bunch of things into a duffle bag, pulled on his boots, coat, and a hat and made the 2 block trek to Emma’s. 

Letting himself in with his key, he quietly called out to Emma. Sure enough, the apartment was still and he got no response so he quietly used the bathroom before settling himself down on the couch and fell asleep quickly.

\---  
The next morning Emma woke up to the sound of the dishwasher being loading. Figuring it was Killian, she sat up, stretched and ran a brush through her hair before slowly making her way out to the kitchen.

“Morning,” she yawn as she leaned on her crutches at the doorway of the kitchen. Killian turned from where he was buttering some toast at the counter.

“Good morning Swan. Eggs and toast today?” He smiled at her one of his dazzling Killian smiles. The kind of smile that made Emma go weak in the knee just a little bit (good thing she was held up by crutches). 

“Sounds great. Coffee?”

“Already poured. I’ll bring it out to you, love.”

Emma turned to make her way to the living room but stopped a few feet from the couch. 

“Uh, did you sleep here last night?” She asked confused looking at the duffle bag by the side of the couch that was open, a few toiletries visible. The back couch cushions were off on the side and the couch was made up like a bed.

Killian came walking into the living room scratching behind his ear. 

“Love, I can explain.”

“Have you been staying here this whole time?”

“What? No!” He said quickly. Emma narrowed her eyes at him but didn’t detect a lie. “I promise, Swan. I was going to apologize. Last night was just too cold to stay aboard the Jolly and…”

“What do you mean the Jolly? Why are you staying on your boat? What happened to your apartment?”

“Ah, well. Your lovely ex evicted me on the grounds that he’s a wanker.” Emma blinked at him in surprise.

“That motherfu-“

“It’s fine. Really. I didn’t care much for the apartment after a while. I’m going to find a place, was going to look today, actually. It was just so cold last night and I was going to apologize today. I just…” Emma put her hand on his forearm to cut him off.

“Hey, it’s fine. I mean some heads up would have been nice, what if I walked around naked or something.” Killian eyebrows danced at her.

“Then what a treat for me.” He waggled his eyebrows at her. “But I doubted you’d be crutching your way around your flat naked except for your cast for no reason.” That made Emma laugh a little. 

“But seriously, I understand.” She continued as she made her way to the couch as Killian fixed it back up for her, replacing the cushions and fluffing the pillow. Emma lowered herself down, moving her injured leg onto the pillows Killian placed on the other end for her. “And of course you are welcome to stay here.”

“Thank you, Swan. I appreciate that. But I’ll let you know if I need to stay again…”

She grabbed his hand before he could reach up to scratch behind his ear again, his nervous tick that she found so adorable. 

“No, Killian. Stay here. I have an extra room. It will be a way for me to say thank you. You know for sticking arou… for helping me out.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive. I know it’s kinda weird to live in your ex-girlfriend’s old room. But you can paint it whatever color you want. I kinda hate that green color she made it so you’d be doing me another favor.”

“I’ll pay rent.”

“Fine, but not till the next month starts.”

“OK.” 

They smiled at each other for a moment.

“I’ll move my stuff in this afternoon.”


End file.
